Twisted Timelines
by Samuraiko
Summary: To defeat the Androids, Piccolo and Kami announce their intention to reunite, thus combining their power, but not before Kami reveals the true source of Kurenai's immortality. And as one Guardian steps down, another ascends to take his place... UPDATED!
1. A New Chance

_Note: This story is one of fourteen that I am writing - companion pieces to my as-yet-unpublished-book, DRAGONBALL Z: AND THE GREATEST OF THESE. While the book itself fits accepted DBZ canon, these stories are meant to expand on themes not explored in depth in AND THE GREATEST OF THESE, or as in the case of "Twisted Timelines," are tales based on those two words of such promise… 'What if…'_

_

* * *

**Twisted Timelines**_

_Chapter One_

Grunting with the effort, Vegeta continued training inside of the gravity chamber in his ship. _The only thing that still really works on this wreck_, he thought disdainfully, deliberately ignoring the fact that the reason it no longer flew was because he'd crashed it into the grounds of Capsule Corporation two years ago.

Over the hum of the gravitron engine he heard a tapping, and he glanced over toward the door of the capsule in irritation. Then he recognized the woman standing outside, and he slapped his hand against the controls to reset the gravity. Even through the walls of the capsule he could sense her energy, and something about it suddenly had his undivided attention.

"_Simulation terminated. Normal gravity restored_."

The door automatically unlocked and swung open.

"Don't you ever get tired of training?" Kurenai asked as she came inside, wrinkling her nose slightly as the prince approached.

"No. Now tell me what has you so wound up that you're practically shaking."

Her mouth fell open. "How did you know?"

"It's a Saiyan's job to know his wife's energy level as well as his own. So out with it."

He could tell she was dying to tell him, but that mischievous streak of hers would never let her just blurt something out. "So if you know so much about my energy level, then you tell me what it is, your highness."

Vegeta took a step back and assessed Kurenai carefully from head to toe. Outwardly, she looked exactly the same as she had when they'd first met two years earlier. Black hair tumbling to her waist, vivid blue-violet eyes, fair skin and slim build. No, there would be never any physical change in her, thanks to the immortality she possessed. She would never become ill, never age, never die… outliving everyone she knew, including himself.

He refused to let his mind dwell on those thoughts. _None of that matters. What matters is that I have her for now, and that is the important thing. Our lives, our worlds, our energies are joined for this life_.

_Our energies_…

Suddenly his eyes widened and dropped to her stomach.

Then they shot back up to her face, where even as he shook his head in disbelief, he saw her smile and nod.

"Yes, Vegeta."

Her hand rested lightly on her stomach as tears of joy sparkled in her eyes.

"Yes…"

* * *

"You're sure?"

His whisper was soft and almost awed in the darkness where they lay in bed, spoon fashion.

Vegeta felt more than saw her nod.

"Yes… I could scarcely believe it myself. All these long years, I never believed… never dared dream it was possible."

He could understand that. For centuries, Kurenai had led a hunted life as a wandering immortal, never daring to stay in one place and settle down, but now with him, she'd found the peace and strength she'd been searching for all her life. Although he knew that he was not the first lover she'd had in her long life, never before had she ever conceived a child, and Kurenai herself had actually wondered if she had been barren even before she became immortal.

Vegeta felt her take his hand from where it had been resting on her shoulder and placed it flat over her belly. He concentrated hard, and felt the faintest flicker of energy. His energy, combined with hers, slowly growing inside of her body to become a new life all its own.

_My God_… he thought in amazement, the enormity of it all nearly overwhelming him. If ten years ago, someone had told him that he would marry a human woman and settle down, he would have either burst out laughing or killed him for the impertinence. But here he was, living on Earth, married to a woman whose lineage and power were nearly the equal of his own, and soon he would have an heir… a child…

"What should we name the baby?" Kurenai asked softly.

"Can you tell if it's male or female?"

"Not this early, no. Maybe in a month or two."

"If it's a boy…"

"Then we'll name him for his father, and yours," she said simply, and Vegeta smiled with pride. Yes, his wife knew him well.

"And if it's a girl?" he asked. "Would you like to name her for your mother?"

She shook her head, and he caught the momentary flash of anger that came from her. "No… even after all this time, I've not yet forgiven her… either of them. No, if it's a girl… I'd like to name her Keiki."

"Keiki," he echoed.

"Yes. It means 'chance.'"

"My God," he repeated, this time aloud.

* * *

Even after Kurenai fell asleep in his arms, Vegeta lay awake and stared at the ceiling.

It was almost too unreal to believe, but the proof of it all was right there beside him.

Kurenai stirred in her sleep and he glanced down at the sleeping immortal. Memories rushed through his mind all at once.

_Meeting her for the first time at Capsule Corporation after Goku had rescued her_…

_Their first date, which she had won on a dare_…

_Making love to her for the first time_…

_Asking her to marry him after spiriting her away to their favorite place by the lake_…

Yes, he thought, only she could ever have been his choice for a mate, for a wife, for his queen. Sole heiress of one of the Four Lords, daughter of the two most powerful sorcerers of the age, and immortal as well. Beautiful, wise, and loving, far more than he ever deserved, for that matter. Even if she wasn't Saiyan, she was by far the best match for the proud Saiyan prince.

Not for the first time did Vegeta wish that his father, the king, were still alive. He believed that King Vegeta would have approved of his marriage, but his formal acceptance and blessing in the traditional Saiyan manner would have made things even better.

And now Saiyan might and human emotion would be joined in a powerful union. Vegeta had seen that firsthand when he'd first met Gohan. It was as though all of the power of the Saiyans had been unleashed when combined with unlimited human potential. But now he would have a child of his own who would share that same incredible promise.

Vegeta fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	2. Say Goodbye

_Note: This story is one of fourteen that I am writing - companion pieces to my as-yet-unpublished-book, DRAGONBALL Z: AND THE GREATEST OF THESE. While the book itself fits accepted DBZ canon, these stories are meant to expand on themes not explored in depth in AND THE GREATEST OF THESE, or as in the case of "Twisted Timelines," are tales based on those two words of such promise… 'What if…'_

_  
Because I forgot to mention it last time, thanks to VideliGohan for convincing me to come on here and post a story! I hope your faith in me was justified…_

* * *

Twisted Timelines

_Chapter Two_

Vegeta and Kurenai stood side by side on Mount Paoz, shivering in the light spring breeze. It was a bright day, filled with sunshine, and birds were singing in the trees, but the whole place felt hushed, almost reverent. Together they watched the others slowly move away, alone or in pairs, their voices hushed and their faces sad.

"And the world and I just continue on," Kurenai said softly.

He turned to his wife. "What do you mean?"

She sighed deeply and bowed her head. "The curse of immortality. People will come and go, live and die, but the world always goes on, and I along with it."

He lightly rubbed his hand against the small of her back. "I actually find that thought comforting."

She looked at him in surprise. "Why?"

Vegeta shrugged. "Because I know that when I die, your memory of me will continue. An immortality of another kind, you could say. I may be gone, but you'll be here, you and our son."

"Or daughter."

He shrugged again. "Either way… the legacy of the Saiyans will go on. We may never attain our former glory and power, but we will endure. And believe me, after Frieza tried so hard to eliminate the Saiyan race, I take a certain grim satisfaction in the notion."

Kurenai turned her head away and flinched.

Vegeta glanced sharply at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You can't lie to me any better now than you could when we first met."

Her eyes met his in despair. "What will I do without you?"

"You will go on, as you always have, as you always will," he said with quiet determination.

"Alone."

"No." He reached out for her hand and lightly caressed his thumb across the golden band on her third finger. "Since the day I gave you this, you have never been alone. And you never will be."

* * *

Vegeta saw Gohan lead his mother away, ChiChi openly sobbing, her son trying manfully to keep his own tears inside. As they passed the couple, Kurenai reached out to lightly touch Gohan's shoulder.

"Gohan… I'm so sorry."

The boy sniffled back his tears. "It's okay, Kurenai. I know you tried, but even your power has its limits."

_That was true_, Vegeta thought. He'd stood beside Kurenai for days, lending her his quiet strength as she had tried to undo the virus's effects, tried desperately to do what modern medicine could not. She had even been prepared to draw the virus into herself, but fearing for the unborn child within her, everyone had convinced her not to risk it.

"If there's anything I can do… anything at all…"

Gohan shook his head. "Just… just be there for us, like you always have."

Her own tears spilled over. "I will, Gohan. I will." She reached out and drew him into a hug, and Gohan wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Oh, God, Gohan, I wish that I could change it all… I tried… I tried so hard…"

The prince stifled the chill he felt at her words. It had been one of the hardest things he had ever done, letting his wife risk her life like that, and the idea that he nearly lost his unborn child was almost more than he could bear. _To put her life… my child's life… at risk for _him_…_ But for her _not_ to try would destroy Kurenai's spirit, and not even Vegeta could live with that idea.

Piccolo approached from where he'd stood by the edge of the trees and rested his hand on Gohan's head. "Don't blame yourself, Kurenai. The last thing any of us want is to lose you, too. You did everything that you could, and more."

She choked back her tears and nodded. "Thank you, Piccolo."

Vegeta glanced over at ChiChi, who was being drawn away by her father, the Ox King. "If you or your mother need anything, Gohan, let us know."

"Thanks, Vegeta."

* * *

Finally Kurenai and Vegeta were the only two people still there, arms around each other's waists, listening to the wind in the trees. With everyone else gone, the prince at last let his guard down and his shoulders slumped in resignation.

"This… just cannot be," Vegeta whispered softly. "It should have been by my hands."

"Did you really hate him so much?" his wife asked, turning to him, her eyes filled with sorrow.

The prince thought for a moment. "In a way, yes. I… I hated the fact that he so effortlessly could achieve what I'd struggled for all my life. I hated the fact that he defeated not only me, but the tyrant who had held me in bondage most of my life. I hated the fact that although he was a low-class warrior, he had more honor than any five Elites I'd ever seen."

His voice dropped. "I hated the fact that he was the one that saved you."

"That was pure chance, Vegeta, and you know it."

"I hated the fact that he meant enough to you that you would have risked everything to save him."

"Do you think I would do any less for you?" she gasped, but he shook his head.

"It's not that. I can be a selfish bastard, Kurenai, and to share you with anyone is still hard for me. Especially with him."

He reached out and touched the granite stone, tracing the carvings upon it with his fingertips.

SON GOKU – FATHER, HUSBAND, FRIEND.

Kurenai watched her husband clench and unclench his fists as he struggled to find the right words.

"But underneath it all, I still respected him. I always will."

Vegeta pointed at the stone, and light flashed from his fingers. For a moment, the glen was lit brightly, then, as the glare faded away, Kurenai saw that Vegeta had carved something underneath the other words.

KAKAROT – SAIYAN.

_To be continued..._


	3. Whispers of the Dragon

_Note: This story is one of fourteen that I am writing - companion pieces to my as-yet-unpublished-book, DRAGONBALL Z: AND THE GREATEST OF THESE. While the book itself fits accepted DBZ canon, these stories are meant to expand on themes not explored in depth in AND THE GREATEST OF THESE, or as in the case of "Twisted Timelines," are tales based on those two words of such promise… 'What if…'_

* * *

**Twisted Timelines**

_Chapter Three_

Vegeta felt his wife twist around uncomfortably in bed, trying to get settled.

"Are you all right? You keep fidgeting."

"I just can't seem to get comfortable. This stomach of mine just keeps getting in the way," Kurenai said in irritation, frowning at her abdomen. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that the little one is turning somersaults in there."

Vegeta glared at her stomach. "Hey, if you can hear me in there, cut it out. If your mother gets no sleep, I don't get any either. And if you make either of us miserable now, you can be sure you'll be grounded for it later."

Kurenai chuckled as the baby within her seemed to quiet down. "I think it worked."

"Let's hope so." He drew his wife close to him again so that her stomach rested against his. It felt decidedly odd to have this much space between them when she was lying right in front of him.

"So was Bulma able to confirm a delivery date?" Although the green-haired scientist's primary field was electronics and capsule creation, Kurenai and Vegeta occasionally had her run medical tests to make sure that the pregnancy went smoothly. Also, Bulma wanted to make sure that Kurenai's own body did nothing to jeopardize things, given her abnormally vigilant immune system and regenerative capabilities.

"Mm-hmm. She's estimating around June 24th, give or take a week, if all goes well."

"Wonderful, another six weeks of you not being able to sleep, having weird food cravings, demanding backrubs – ouch!" He frowned as Kurenai reached out and punched him in the arm.

"Just for that, you get to change the first month's worth of diapers."

Gently she rubbed her stomach, then glanced over at her husband. "You sure you're not disappointed?"

"That it's a girl?" he asked, and she nodded. "Not really, no. I know you want a daughter, and if she's anywhere as powerful as you are, she'll make a worthy heiress of the Vegeta lineage." That thought pleased him – a child with his own physical power and his wife's magical abilities.

"At least we know that she'll be able to take care of herself," Kurenai said absently, and Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her.

"That's true enough, but something tells me there's more to that comment."

"I don't know…" She idly rubbed her hand over her heart, where the prince could see the dragon tattoo inked into her skin. "Just thinking aloud, I guess."

It bothered him when these hunches or feelings came over her – the Dragon whispering in her ear, they had taken to calling it. Of all the Z Warriors, only Vegeta had ever been able to sense that there was a greater power within Kurenai than any of them ever dreamt of. The first time he and she had sparred, Kurenai had unleashed a tremendous power to fight him, to the point where she could have killed him easily. But when he broke her concentration, the power had vanished again, and since that day, only flickers of it ever showed through.

Most of the time, those flickers came in the form of dreams or odd hunches, like the one she'd had that told her that Goku was dying. Kurenai had woken screaming out of a sound sleep, scaring at least ten years off of Vegeta's life, and immediately the two of them had flown to Goku's house to discover the other Saiyan gasping in unimaginable pain.

Another had come while Kurenai and Vegeta had been meditating in the gravity chamber. The prince had sensed his wife's energy level changing, and had opened his eyes to see his wife staring at nothing, her eyes wide with wonder. As he had touched her arm to get her attention, she began to describe a world of towering buildings, brilliant reddish skies, and racing winds. Vegeta had been stunned to hear his wife describe his home world of Vegeta-sei.

_If only you could tap into that power at will_, he thought enviously, _you would be the most powerful warrior on the planet_.

Suddenly he felt her shiver and saw her eyes open wide. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She sat bolt upright and turned to stare at the window.

"Kurenai?"

The immortal ignored him, continuing to stare outside. He leapt to his feet and strode to the window, but there was nothing out there that he could see.

"Come on, Kurenai, this isn't amusing. Talk to me!"

She sat in the same enraptured trance, and he glanced back out the window. _All right, think logically, she might be looking beyond what I can see out there. What direction is she staring in_? He looked around to fix the cardinal points in his mind, then back at his wife.

_Southwest_.

* * *

The answer to Vegeta's questions came the next morning. While Kurenai was still in bed, trying to catch up on lost sleep, he'd been pulling on his shorts and sneakers for a workout in the gravity chamber when a sudden announcement came through on TV.

"Reports are still coming in about an explosion of undetermined origin earlier this morning that rocked the city of Sazebo, nine miles southwest of South City. Eyewitnesses report that the explosion has leveled nearly half of the city, but the number of casualties is still unknown. Our correspondent will be on the scene shortly, and we hope to bring you more news within the hour…"

Vegeta sat down hard on the edge of the bed. _Something about this feels wrong… humanity might be the undisputed experts for self-destruction, but this goes way beyond their normal stupidity_.

"You're right," came Kurenai's voice from behind him. He turned to see his wife sitting up in bed and watching him. It wasn't the first time she'd answered as though she could read his thoughts. "Whatever caused that explosion, it certainly wasn't natural, like a gas leak or somesuch."

"You saw something last night." It was a statement, not a question.

She nodded. "I was hoping I was wrong."

"But why level half a city? And an insignificant one like Sazebo? It would make more sense if someone were to try and destroy West City."

Kurenai bit her lip thoughtfully. "I don't know."

Her expression changed to one of dismay as the prince got up again and this time began pulling on his Saiyan body armor. "You're not planning on going there, are you?"

"No, I'm going to just sit here and watch TV. Of course I'm going."

"Then I'm going with you." She started to heave herself out of bed, but he firmly pushed her back against the pillows.

"You are staying right here. You are in no condition to go wandering all over the planet. I don't need help."

"I'm immortal, Vegeta, what could possibly happen to me?"

"You are, yes. We don't know if Keiki is, and I won't allow you to jeopardize the baby over something like this."

Her eyes narrowed and she stopped struggling to rise, but as he pulled on his boots, he saw her reach for the phone. "And don't go calling any of the others, either. I'm sure they already know and will be on their way as well."

She sighed and reached for his hand, pulling it against her face to cup her cheek. "Promise me you'll be careful, Vegeta. Don't go taking any unnecessary risks, I want you to come home safe to Keiki and me."

He leaned down and kissed his wife goodbye.

* * *

As he raced toward South City, his mind whirled with questions. _What could possibly have caused that explosion? The only people on this planet powerful enough to do it are, as Kakarot would have called us, "the good guys." Unless Piccolo has for some weird reason reverted to his Demon King aspect_…

"Hey, Vegeta!"

He looked over his shoulder to see Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Tien, and Yamcha zooming up alongside him.

"I don't need your help, so you all may as well turn around and go home."

"Not a chance, Vegeta," Yamcha smirked. "Kurenai would kill us if we let anything happen to you."

"Besides, Yamcha's more afraid of your wife than he is of you!" Krillin called cheerfully, earning a glare from the former bandit.

"I take it all of you saw that news announcement."

Gohan nodded. "Yeah… no idea what caused it though."

The group flew over South City then turned slightly southwest, aiming for Sazebo. Then all six pulled up short in mid-flight as they saw smoke billowing over the horizon.

"My God," Tien whispered. "That can't just be from this morning's explosion."

"Something else must have happened," Piccolo growled, "but we won't find out hanging out up here. Let's go!"

Vegeta and the other Z Warriors followed the Namek toward the island, and all of them were stunned to see not only Sazebo, but most of the island had been hammered into ruins. People were fleeing any way they could – by plane, helicopter, boat, aircar, whatever they could manage.

"Whoa…" Yamcha whistled. "What causes that kind of damage?"

"Someone like us." Vegeta's voice was flat.

"But there's no one down there like that, we'd be able to sense their power levels, right?" Krillin asked. "I mean, it's possible to suppress it, but it'd actually be raised to attack." As if in response to his words, another explosion rocked the island, but the Z Warriors felt no indication of any sort of power.

"We may as well go down there and take a look," Piccolo stated. "Spread out, and if you see anything, raise your power level so we can sense it. And don't do anything stupid."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Gohan muttered.

_To be continued_…


	4. Hell Breaks Loose

_Note: This story is one of fourteen that I am writing - companion pieces to my as-yet-unpublished-book, DRAGONBALL Z: AND THE GREATEST OF THESE. While the book itself fits accepted DBZ canon, these stories are meant to expand on themes not explored in depth in AND THE GREATEST OF THESE, or as in the case of "Twisted Timelines," are tales based on those two words of such promise… 'What if…'_ _Sorry it took so long to get Chapter Four up, the rest will be up shortly... I hope._

**

* * *

**

**TWISTED TIMELINES**

_Chapter Four_

Vegeta nearly choked on the smoke and dust swirling through the air as he flew through Sazebo's streets. Flames raged out of control all over the city, people were panicking and running in every direction, and buildings were coming down one after another.

_My God, it's like a war zone_, he thought as he dodged another falling block of concrete. Beneath him, another group of people nearly trampled each other fleeing down the street away, and he felt heat wash over him as a nearby building exploded in a ball of fire and debris. No stranger to destruction, he was still rather unnerved by the absolute chaos below.

He could sense the energy of the others weaving and crisscrossing over the remains of the city, but so far, none of them were having any luck in figuring what had caused the mass damage.

_This is ridiculous, this kind of chaos doesn't just happen_…

Suddenly a deafening explosion rang out up ahead, cutting his thoughts short. He dove downward and touched down on the street, peering through the drifting smoke. Through the haze, he saw two figures standing in the middle of the road, oblivious to the bedlam around them. As he approached, they turned as one to look at him.

One of them spoke, a low, slightly husky voice. "A distinct power level. Non-human in origin."

"I will identify it," said the second, its voice higher pitched, and Vegeta started as its eyes flickered brightly for a few moments.

"Warrior, Saiyan male, sub-class A, identified as Vegeta."

"Excellent. He will provide us with ample energy." Together they advanced on him. The prince narrowed his eyes, gauging their power level. _Hah, it's virtually non-existent, taking these two down will be easy_.

"I don't think so," Vegeta snapped, crossing his arms across his chest, ignoring a warning bell going off inside his head. He watched as they came closer, and he now saw that they were two males – one tall and thin, with long white hair and an aged, almost angry face, the other short and fat, with an almost innocent doll-like expression. Both of them were dressed in bizarre-looking clothes, and wore hats with the same insignia on them.

"Are you responsible for this?" he demanded, the warning bell in his head growing steadily louder.

"Yes," replied the shorter of the two. They stopped about ten feet away from him, their eyes fixed on him with a disturbing intensity.

"Why?"

"Why?" the taller man repeated, seeming surprised that he would even ask the question. "For the simplest reason, of course. Because we can."

Vegeta threw his head back and laughed. "With a nothing power level like yours, how could you two possibly have caused all this? Do you have any idea what real power is?"

"Yes, we do, actually. And we would have no difficulty destroying you as well, Saiyan."

"Me?" Vegeta echoed. "You're human, how can you just-"

Both figures smirked.

The warning bell in Vegeta's mind finally got his attention.

No power level.

"No…" he said slowly, looking from one to the other. "You're not human. I don't know what you are, but you're not human."

"Correct," said the shorter figure.

The prince stared at them both. "But if you're not human, then… what are you? You have no power level, no life force that I can detect at all!"

"That is because we are not alive," replied the taller of the two.

"We are androids."

* * *

Growling, Vegeta angrily raised his power level, feeling the familiar rush as his senses were heightened. "I don't care what you are, trash is still trash and should be disposed of."

The two androids smiled. "You would be wise to reconsider attacking, Vegeta," said the shorter one. "We are both quite familiar with your power and your techniques."

"Is that so? Then you both should realize that I'm going to pound you into the ground!"

"Vegeta!"

The prince glanced up and saw the others arriving, touching down on the street one by one.

"What are you all doing here?" he said in exasperation.

"We sensed the increase in your power," Piccolo said matter-of-factly. "Giving your propensity for showing off, it seemed wise to come check on you."

"The next time I want a babysitter, I'll ask for one," Vegeta snapped. "I don't need anyone's help, so just stay out of my way."

"So who are these guys?" Krillin asked as he looked at them both warily. "They're both kind of funny looking, but they give me the creeps."

Yamcha, however, was staring at the two in dismay. "That symbol," he said, pointing at the insignia on their hats. "That's the symbol of the Red Ribbon Army!"

Krillin turned to look at him. "But that's impossible, Goku destroyed the Red Ribbon Army years ago!"

The taller android spoke. "That is true, but because of his soft-heartedness, Son Goku let Dr. Gero escape. We are the results of Dr. Gero's genius, his determination to best Son Goku for destroying his army. What good was it if a singly boy could wipe out the greatest of soldiers in a single attack? So Dr. Gero studied Goku thoroughly over the years, and created a fighter capable of defeating Goku once and for all."

"Created…" Tien said in confusion.

"They're androids," Vegeta said shortly. "You can tell for yourself, neither one of them has a power level. And for dead people, they look pretty active."

"Androids?" Krillin backed up a step.

"Yes," said the tall android. "I am Android 20, and this is Android 19. We were both created by Dr. Gero to be the ultimate fighters, powerful enough to kill Goku and realizing Dr. Gero's revenge."

"But why destroy the entire city?" Piccolo asked them, folding his arms across his chest.

"For two reasons," Android 20 responded. "First, we decided to test our powers on the civilian population. Second, if nothing else, Son Goku is predictable. Whenever innocents are threatened, he immediately arrives to save them."

"But Son Goku is not here," Android 19 stated.

"He will arrive soon enough."

The Z Warriors started and looked at each other, then back at the Androids.

"But… but Goku's dead!" Krillin blurted out.

The Androids' eyes widened. "That is not possible."

"It's true, Tien said. "He died six months ago of some strange heart virus."

The Androids looked at one another, their eyes flickering again as information passed between them. Then they turned back to the Z Warriors, rapidly assessing their power levels.

"According to our database, there are seven significant power levels on this planet. Six of you are here. The only one not accounted for, then, is Son Goku."

"Your database?" Piccolo asked in surprise. "You mean you know who we are?"

"Warrior, human male, sub-class B, identified as Krillin," said Android 19.

"Warrior, Namek male, sub-class A, identified as Piccolo," said Android 20.

"Warrior, male, half-Saiyan, half-human, sub-class B, identified as Gohan." Android 19's eyes momentarily glanced over the boy and he flinched.

"Warrior, human male, sub-class A, identified as Tien."

"Warrior, human male, sub-class B, identified as Yamcha."

"But there is still one power level detected on this planet that is comparable to yours, and it is not here." Android 20 addressed the group as a whole. "And if Son Goku is dead, as you say, then who does that power level in West City belong to?"

"Oh, my God…" Vegeta whispered.

_To be continued..._


	5. It's Not Over Yet

_Note: This story is one of fourteen that I am writing - companion pieces to my as-yet-unpublished-book, DRAGONBALL Z: AND THE GREATEST OF THESE. While the book itself fits accepted DBZ canon, these stories are meant to expand on themes not explored in depth in AND THE GREATEST OF THESE, or as in the case of "Twisted Timelines," are tales based on those two words of such promise… 'What if…'_

* * *

**Twisted Timelines**

_Chapter Five_

_No… I won't let them do it. I won't!_ Nearly out of his mind with concern, Vegeta clenched his fists angrily and glared at the Androids. "I'm sick of listening to you two. Why don't you just shut up and fight?"

"Ah yes, the famous temper of Prince Vegeta. It is going to get you killed, you know," said Android 20 sardonically. "As Android 19 stated before, we are quite familiar with your power level and your techniques. There is no chance that you could ever defeat us."

"We'll see about that!" the prince howled, and suddenly charged. As he lunged at the Androids, both of them immediately took to the air. With a snarl, Vegeta took off after Android 19 first. "Come back here and fight, you overweight rust-bucket!"

In a rush of kicks and punches, Vegeta and Android 19 traded blow for blow, while Android 20 and the other Z Warriors watched. Although the squat Android appeared fat, he clearly could move a lot faster than one might give him credit for, and he was able to match Vegeta blow for blow.

"Vegeta, stop!" Piccolo shouted, but the Saiyan ignored him. "Damn him… that pride of his is going to get him killed one of these days."

Laughing with that eerily high-pitched voice, Android 19 appeared in front of Vegeta and drove a fist right into his stomach. Vegeta's gasp of pain was cut short as the Android then brought both hands down onto his back and sent him plummeting toward the ground.

"Hit the deck!" Yamcha yelled, and the other Z Warriors scattered as Vegeta crashed into the earth, forming a crate nearly twenty feet across.

"Vegeta, are you all right?" Gohan called, as the Saiyan pulled himself out of the crater with blood trickling from his mouth and a disgruntled expression. Vegeta ignored him and looked up at Android 19, who stood in mid-air placidly waiting.

"I suppose even an overgrown bucket of bolts like you might get lucky once in a while," he said. Slowly he rose into the air until he and Android 19 were level with one another, and drew one gloved hand across his mouth to wipe away the blood. "But you won't be so lucky again."

Android 19 smirked. "We will see."

"Indeed we will."

The Android charged him with a vicious uppercut, but Vegeta dodged it by slightly leaning back and catching him under the chin with a well-aimed kick. Vegeta's sudden attack caught the Android by surprise, sending him flying, but the Android quickly recovered and dove back at him. The prince had no intention of letting him catch him again, however, and he cupped one hand behind the other and crouched down.

"All right, Android, let's see you recover from this. Gallic Gun, fire!"

A brilliant blast of magenta light shot from Vegeta's hands, but to his astonishment, Android 19 neither tried to dodge nor to block.

He laughed instead.

"Oh, yes! YES!"

The Android flung out his right hand and caught Vegeta's blast right in his palm, and Vegeta and the Z Warriors watched in horror as the fat Android gleefully absorbed the energy until the attack dwindled… and faded… and then died completely.

* * *

"What the…" Vegeta could only stare in shock. "What did… what did you just do?" 

"He absorbed it!" Piccolo said in disbelief. As he looked closer, he could see a small jewel set into the Android's palm. "There's something on the palm of his hand that allowed him to absorb the energy of your attack, Vegeta!"

"Yes," said Android 20, and all of them turned to look at him. "A most useful design feature in Android 19 and myself."

"Fine, if I can't blast you away, then I'll just have to pound into a pulp, that's all!" he said angrily to the Android. He charged at Android 19 again, this time taking care not to throw another energy blast. But the white-faced Android reached out and grabbed hold of both of Vegeta's wrists.

"What are you… let go of me!" He struggled, but the Android's grip was too strong.

"Until I have all of your energy, I will never let you go." And suddenly Vegeta felt his energy slowly being drained away by the Android, flowing through his body, down into his wrists, and into the energy collector in Android 19's hands. As his energy was siphoned off, he could feel his body slowly growing cold and sluggish. He refused to give up, however.

_If I give up, I'm dead… and so is she. And I will _not_ let that happen!_

"Never, huh? Never can be an awfully long time!" With an agile twist of his body, Vegeta brought his feet up and braced them against Android 19's face. The Android snarled and tried to turn his head away, but Vegeta slowly straightened his legs until he felt like his arms would be pulled free of their sockets. He grimaced as the Android tightened his grip on his wrists, but he kept pushing until the Android's head was bent back at a nearly ninety-degree angle.

"Vegeta is a fool," stated Android 20. "Android 19's body is designed to stand far more than this. And as he weakens, it only makes his strategy even more useless."

"You see, that's where you're wrong," Vegeta grunted, his face contorted with the effort of keeping his legs straight. "You Androids have no imagination. I'm not trying to pull his arms off."

Android 20 looked startled. "What?"

"Are you not only weak, but deaf, too? I said I'm not going to pull his arms off. This walking tin can is certainly capable of ripping my arms out, true enough. However…"

In a move almost too fast to follow, Vegeta drew his knees up against his chest, and as Android 19 reflexively moved forward after the release of the pressure against his face, Vegeta's feet lashed straight out and caught the Android under his chin…

… and severed Android 19's head from his body in one blow.

"Holy cow! He beat him!" Krillin crowed. "Vegeta may be an arrogant bastard, but he is GOOD!"

Android 20 was in shock. "How… how is this possible? There is simply no way that Vegeta is strong enough to beat Android 19!"

He and the Z Warriors stood agape as Vegeta and Android 19's body crashed to the ground, while the head of Android 19 rolled and came to a stop at Android 20's feet.

"Malfunction," said the disembodied head of Android 19 as the electronic life faded from his eyes. "Mal… function… mal…" The high-pitched voice sank lower, then stopped.

Vegeta lay on the ground for a moment, gasping, then he powered up and blasted what was left of Android 19 off of him.

_Perhaps Kakarot was right… when you fight for something you believe in, you really can overcome impossible odds_.

Slowly he straightened up and turned to face Android 20. "Now then… you're next."

* * *

"This… this cannot be happening," Android 20 said in disbelief. 

"Of course it is," Vegeta said confidently as he slapped the dust off of himself. "Come now, you didn't really think that an overgrown tub of lard like that was going to be able to beat me?"

"Hey, Vegeta, let us have some of the fun, too," Piccolo said with a smirk, powering up, and the other Z Warriors quickly followed suit. "As long as we don't use energy blasts, we should be fine against this guy."

"It doesn't matter what you think you can accomplish here," Android 20 snarled. "You may have defeated Android 19, but you have not yet faced me."

"Oh, please," Vegeta replied in disdain, "that refrain is getting tiresome. Why don't you just admit that you're beaten?"

The white-haired Android advanced a step. "You got lucky against Android 19, Vegeta, but I assure you that I am far superior to the Android 19 model. You will not be so lucky against me."

Vegeta turned his back on the Android and looked at Piccolo. "You may as well have your fun, go ahead and trash him. But if you screw up and he steals your energy, don't look to me to bail you out."

"Believe me, I'm not going to be that careless." Piccolo pulled off his cloak and turban and tossed them to one side as the other Z Warriors dropped into fighting stances. "Besides, it'll make a nice warm-up before I start training today."

"So no energy blasts, and be careful in close combat, that sounds easy enough," Krillin said flippantly. "Anything else we should know before we get started?"

"Oh shut up and beat him already, I have better things to do than stand around here all day," Vegeta said with a dismissive wave.

Android 20 quickly assessed the five Z Warriors. "It does not matter how many of you attack me, you will not win."

"We'll see about that!" They charged, and Android 20 was quickly hard-pressed to keep them off of him. He was at least as fast as Android 19, however, and since Piccolo and the others refused to stay close enough to him to give him the chance to grab one of them, the damage they could deal out was reduced.

"And to think I was worried," Yamcha said confidently, but the instant his guard came down, Android 20 turned on him with a snarl and rammed his hand through his ribcage. Yamcha's scream of agony was choked off as he coughed out a mouthful of blood.

"Yamcha!" Tien shouted, and dove to catch his friend. Carefully he lowered them both to the ground and laid Yamcha outstretched on the dirt. He nearly was sick himself as he saw the hole that the Android had punched through him. "Yamcha, hold on!"

"Tien, catch!" Krillin called out, pausing in the fight just long enough to throw Tien one of the healing Senzu beans that he always carried. Tien snatched the bean out of the air and carefully fed it to Yamcha.

"Come on, Yamcha, eat it," he urged, and slowly Yamcha chewed and swallowed the bean. As Tien earnestly watched, slowly the terrible wound began to close, until no trace of the injury remained.

"Tien, is Yamcha all right?" Gohan yelled as he dodged one of Android 20's energy blasts. "Is he going to make it?"

"Yeah, Gohan, he's fine," Tien called back. "You just make sure you keep your focus on that Android!"

Although it was now three against one instead of five against one, Android 20 was still hard-pressed to keep the Z Warriors at bay. "You cannot keep this up indefinitely, you are flesh and blood creatures and you will wear yourselves out."

"Yeah, but we're not the ones who have to steal energy to keep going," Piccolo replied breathlessly, and he snatched one of Android 20's arms and sliced his hand down. With a burst of sparks and smoke, the Namek neatly severed one of Android 20's hands from the wrist down.

Android 20 howled in fury and fell back. "You… you'll pay for that!"

"Unlikely," Piccolo said with a nasty smile and lunged after the Android again. Appearing behind him, he trapped the Android in a headlock, then shouted for the others. "Come on, one of you disable that other hand of his!"

"He's mine!" Yamcha yelled, and soared back up into the sky where Piccolo had the Android trapped. With a growl of rage, he seized the Android's other hand and wrenched it clean off. Oil and wires trailed out of what was left of Android 20's wrist, and now the white-haired android was trembling. Piccolo shoved the Android away, who quickly backed up so that his back was against a nearby cliff.

"Well, what do you know?" Vegeta said with amusement. "I guess androids experience fear."

"So now we don't have to worry about him absorbing our energy any more?" Gohan asked Piccolo.

"That's right. Those devices that steal energy were in their hands, and now he's short two of them, I don't think that's a concern any longer."

"Good," Gohan said shortly. He brought his small hands together over his head and gathered power into them, just as Piccolo had taught him. "This is for my dad… wherever he is…"

Quickly Piccolo and the others scattered, leaving Android 20 trapped against the cliff face. "Take him out, Gohan, now!"

Gohan's hands came down in a sweeping gesture. "Masenko… HAAAAAAA!" The energy blast roared down toward Android 20, who raised his arms in a futile defense.

"NOOOOOOO!"

The Android and most of the cliff face both disappeared in an explosion of energy.

* * *

As the smoke cleared, the six Z Warriors hovered and looked around. 

"Is… is he gone?" Krillin asked.

"Most of him is," Vegeta said with a smirk. He pointed to the ground where what was left of Android 20 lay. His lower body and his left arm were completely disintegrated, leaving only his head, torso, and what was left of his right arm. "You were sloppy, Gohan, I know you have enough power that you could have obliterated him."

"I'm not as vicious as you are, Vegeta," Gohan said quietly. "I just… don't enjoy killing like you do."

He and the other Z Warriors flew down to the ground and surrounded the remains of the Android's body, but they nearly jumped out of their skin as Android 20 turned his head to look up at them.

"Our defeat here… is of… no consequence… you are… all dead anyway," he rasped, his voice stilted. "It is… too late… for all of you… and for Son Goku… the coward."

"What do you mean?" Tien asked.

"Androids 17 & 18… have already… been activated… They are… far stronger… than all of you together…"

Android 20's smile was ghastly.

"And they… have already… been dispatched… to West City."

"WHAT!" Gohan howled.

The white-haired android managed a faint laugh, his eyes gleaming with an almost fanatical light. "West City… will be destroyed… and the rest… of the world… will soon follow. All of… your heroics… were for… nothing…"

"SHUT UP!" Vegeta screamed. The Android was still laughing when Vegeta brought his foot down on the Android's head and crushed it in a single step.

"West City…" Krillin repeated. "But there's no power level like that in West City, not one comparable to Goku's."

"It's certainly not Bulma, that's for sure," Yamcha said dryly.

"Or Chiaotzu either," Tien replied. "He's over at Master Roshi's."

"Oh, for God's sake, you're all idiots," Piccolo said in annoyance. "Who else do we know who lives there?"

Vegeta was already flying for Capsule Corp as fast as he could.

_To be continued_…


	6. Dangerous Games

_Note: This story is one of fourteen that I am writing - companion pieces to my as-yet-unpublished-book, DRAGONBALL Z: AND THE GREATEST OF THESE. While the book itself fits accepted DBZ canon, these stories are meant to expand on themes not explored in depth in AND THE GREATEST OF THESE, or as in the case of "Twisted Timelines," are tales based on those two words of such promise… 'What if…'_

* * *

**Twisted Timelines**

_Chapter Six_

"I'm bored."

"Already?"

"Yeah."

"How can you be bored when there are so many buildings to destroy?"

A brilliant blast of crimson light flashed, and another skyscraper collapsed to the street in a cloud of debris and dust.

"Look, there are plenty left if you want to blow up a few."

"But it's no fun, buildings don't fight back. I want a challenge."

"Fine, we'll race. Whoever blows up the most buildings wins."

"That's no fun, besides, you cheat."

Screams of terror and agony echoed through the ruined streets as people stampeded madly trying to get away.

"Well, we're almost to Capsule Corporation, then you can have the challenge of fighting Son Goku."

"That's true. And I imagine that fighting Goku will be fun for a little while, at least."

Smoke and steam boiled up from underground as pipes burst, covering fleeing people in ash and boiling water, while geysers of flame shot twenty feet up in the sky as gaslines ruptured from the explosions.

"So will you stop moping now?"

"But what do we do for fun after we kill him?"

"Then we start on everyone else."

"You're right, that does sound like fun."

_

* * *

Don't let me be too late, Vegeta prayed as he raced toward West City. __Please don't let me be too late_. As well-disciplined as he considered himself, his mind would not stop torturing him with the idea that he might not make it in time., Vegeta prayed as he raced toward West City. . As well-disciplined as he considered himself, his mind would not stop torturing him with the idea that he might not make it in time. 

_West City a mass of crumbling buildings and flames_…

His heart felt like it was going to burst right out of his chest.

_Capsule Corporation in ruins_…

His lungs could hardly draw in breath.

_Kurenai screaming in rage and horror_…

"NO!" he shouted, transforming the sick horror he felt into unbridled rage and power. The familiar corona of power sparked and shimmered around his body as he tapped into the deepest reserves within himself. "I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!" With a growl, he accelerated even faster, pushing his body to the limit.

"VEGETA!"

He glanced behind him and saw the other Z Warriors struggling to catch up to him. Piccolo zoomed up alongside of him and glanced at the prince. "We're not letting you fight them alone, Vegeta. We're her friends, too."

Vegeta looked back at the others, who were nodding in agreement. Instinctively he opened his mouth to reject their help, to send them away and let him fight the Androids alone. It was his Saiyan pride, he knew, that refused to accept weakness in any form, and friendship, or any other emotion, was just another weakness. But he knew in his heart that they were her friends, too. And they could no more stand aside and watch her get hurt than he could.

"Then let's go," he rasped, and the six Z Warriors shot toward Capsule Corporation.

* * *

"Well, we're here." Android 18 pushed her blonde hair back from her face and looked around at Capsule Corporation with interest.

"Finally," Android 17 groused, landing beside her, his hands on his hips.

"Oh don't mope, 17, we'd been asleep so long that I just wanted to see the city before we completely destroyed it."

The black-haired Android looked less than impressed. "Well, we've seen it, now can we find Goku?"

"Oh whine, whine, whine, whine. Honestly, don't you ever stop complaining?" Android 18 rolled her eyes at him, then turned back at the Capsule Corporation grounds, one of the only places in the city that they hadn't completely demolished. "Geez, you'd think that with all the fun we had, Son Goku could at least have come out to see what was going on."

A gasp of horror and outrage echoed across the compound, and the Androids' attention was suddenly caught by a woman standing on the balcony of a small house beside the Capsule Corporation headquarters building. Her long black hair was piled on top of her head, and she looked about eight months pregnant.

Android 17 strolled over to stand underneath the balcony. "Excuse me, would you happen to know where Son Goku is?"

"What?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Son Goku," he repeated slowly, as though speaking to a child. "We know that he's here, would you please see if he can come out and play?"

"Who told you Goku was here?" she asked.

"Oh, a mutual friend of ours. You see, Goku can be pretty good at hiding, so we looked for the biggest power level on the planet. And we found out that it was here. And since Goku's the most powerful fighter, that means he's here. See?"

The woman wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "I don't know how to tell you this, but Goku is dead."

"That's nonsense," Android 18 said imperiously, coming over to stand beside Android 17. "We checked before we left. The highest reading is here at Capsule Corporation, and we've already accounted for all his little friends. So where is he?"

"I've already told you, he died six months ago of a heart virus." Her voice dropped. "I should know… I tried to save him, but I couldn't. I was there when he died."

The Androids looked at each other.

"That… that can't be possible," Android 17 said.

"Unless there's suddenly someone else on this planet with a power level as high as Goku's." Android 18 looked over at the woman speculatively. "Hmm. At any rate, I wonder who she is."

Lazily she drifted into the air until she hovered level with the balcony. As she assessed the black-haired woman, her blue eyes lit up as electronic data raced across her field of vision.

The woman started. "You… can fly? But how? You have no power level, no life force!"

"Very observant."

"I see. No, you're… you're not human. No… you're an android, aren't you?"

"That's right… something far greater than any mortal flesh-and-blood creation could ever hope to become." Her eyes narrowed. "Fascinating… hey, 17, this might interest you."

Android 17 looked up at the blonde android with indifference. "What?"

"According to our databases, this woman is Vegeta's wife."

"Really?" Android 17 replied with greater interest, floating up to join Android 18 in front of the woman on the balcony. He carefully looked her over from head to toe and back again. "Well, I'll give him credit for good taste, if nothing else." His eyes dropped to her stomach.

Android 18 followed his look. "And how adorable, he's going to be a father."

"What the… Kurenai, who ARE these people!" came a loud screech behind the woman, and she turned to see another woman of about the same age approaching.

"Bulma, you'd better get out of here," Kurenai warned. "Something tells me this is going to get ugly."

"WHAT! But you're practically in labor, you can't go fighting a battle now! Are you out of your mind!" The green-haired woman swept her curls out of the way and glared at the two Androids. "And who do you two think you are, trying to bully a pregnant woman, don't you have any manners?"

"Don't worry about me. Tell your parents and anyone else you can convince to get moving."

"But why?"

"Just do it!" At the commanding tone of her voice, Bulma turned and fled. The Androids ignored her, their attention fixed on the woman on the balcony.

"I don't know why you're here," she said in a low voice, "and frankly, I don't really care. But if you two are responsible for the destruction of West City, and I'm fairly sure you are, then I will not let you get away with it."

"Oh, we're real scared," Android 18 drawled. She lifted one hand and a glowing ball of energy pulsed against her palm.

The woman was pale, but stood her ground.

Android 18 raised a pale eyebrow. "Brave. Stupid, but brave. That's fine. Now we have something new to play with, just in case you are telling the truth about Goku."

"You're right, 18. So who gets to play first?"

"You're the one who was bored, you go ahead," the blonde android said dismissively. "I'll watch for a while."

Android 17 smirked, then turned to face the woman. "Kurenai… is that your name? Well, let me tell you, Kurenai, you don't stand a chance against us."

"You have no idea what I can stand," she said in a low, cold voice. Her fists clenched at her sides as she straightened her shoulders. "Believe me, I've been through hell, you don't scare me."

"Yeah, but something tells me you're not used to fighting with a handicap, like that stomach of yours getting in the way." She went pale and rested one hand against her stomach protectively. "It's true, it won't be too much fun since I know you won't be giving it your all, but I guess you'll make a decent distraction for a while."

His eyes lit up with an almost feral pleasure as he leapt toward her.

_To be continued_...


	7. The Seventh Power

_Note: This story is one of fourteen that I am writing - companion pieces to my as-yet-unpublished-book, DRAGONBALL Z: AND THE GREATEST OF THESE. While the book itself fits accepted DBZ canon, these stories are meant to expand on themes not explored in depth in AND THE GREATEST OF THESE, or as in the case of "Twisted Timelines," are tales based on those two words of such promise… 'What if…'_

* * *

**Twisted Timelines**

_Chapter Seven_

"Ready or not, here I come!" Android 17 shouted as he lunged at Kurenai, but in a blur of lines, she disappeared. "Hey… what the hell! 18, where'd she go!"

Android 18 had been just as startled as Android 17 when the woman on the balcony had vanished, but her eyes caught a glimpse of movement as Kurenai appeared on the grass some distance from the black-haired android. "There she is!"

"She's quick, I'll give her that."

"She's Vegeta's wife, what did you expect, 17? You should be glad, at least now she might be more fun for you."

Android 17 glared at Kurenai. "That was very clever of you," he growled as he descended to the ground. "It seems that Vegeta's taught you a few tricks."

"Vegeta had nothing to do with it," she shot back, slowly straightening. "I've been fighting my entire life. And if he's not here to stop you, then I'll do it myself."

"And how exactly do you plan to do that? You're certainly in no condition to fight me, let alone both of us."

Slowly she smiled, and Android 17 took a step back from her in surprise as she lifted her hands like a conductor about to begin leading the orchestra. Power sparked and danced around her lifted hands, then she made a strange gesture and the energy resolved itself into a shimmering staff nearly six feet in length. "What's this? What… what are you doing?"

"Impressive," Android 18 said as Kurenai raised the staff in front of her in a defensive stance. "She has a remarkably fine control over energy."

"I never said I was going to fight," she replied in a chilling voice. "I said I was going to stop you. And I will." Suddenly she leapt straight at Android 17, swinging the staff, and he let out a yell of surprise as it connected with him, sending a surge of energy coursing wildly through every circuit in his body.

Kurenai laughed. "Weren't expecting that, now, were you?"

He twisted and dodged, trying to keep her from hitting him with it again, but she kept pressing the attack, wielding the staff with the grace and deadly accuracy of years of long practice, and it soon became obvious to both of the Androids that the woman in front of them was much, much stronger than she looked.

"18, what is going on? How can she be this strong?" Android 17 called to the blonde android, but she was just as confused as he.

"I don't know, there's nothing else in our files about who she is, other than that she's Vegeta's mate!"

"Well, that's not much help!"

"Then maybe you should take this little sparring match more seriously instead of playing around!"

"Shut up!" he shouted at Android 18, who shrugged and walked over to a nearby rock to sit down.

Cursing, Android 17 sprang at Kurenai, and gritting his teeth, he seized the staff of energy out of her hands. "I think it's time to take this away from you." She jumped back, startled, as he shattered it into a thousand fragments. "Now you won't be able to keep such a distance between us."

"Get away from me," she growled, dropping into a low horse stance. He moved in to attack, but she lifted her crossed forearms in front of her face and blocked him. What sent him reeling backward, however, was the unexpected crackle of energy he'd felt when his punch made contact.

Again and again he attacked, and again and again she repelled his blows, but with each strike, he could sense her weakening.

"You are really starting to annoy me," he said through clenched teeth.

"Why? Because you're not winning as easily as you thought you would?" she panted.

"It's of no importance," he replied. "You might be powerful, but in the end, you're only flesh and blood, you'll wear out eventually."

She tried to use her enhanced speed again, but with uncanny precision, he anticipated where she would emerge and threw a vicious punch that caught her straight in the face, sending her flying.

"Damn you!" she shouted, cartwheeling in midair to land lightly on the ground, but all of a sudden Android 17 was there, standing right in front of her.

"What… how did…" was all she got out as he brought his hand up in front of her face. Before she could even get out a whole sentence, a ball of energy blazed into existence in front of his hand.

"It's been fun, but as they say, all good things must come to an end."

"Get the HELL away from my wife!"

"Vegeta!" Kurenai cried out.

Android 17 recovered from the surprise faster than she did, however, and he glanced back at Kurenai while her attention was still on the Saiyan prince.

"Well, well, well, it looks like the cavalry has arrived," Android 18 said sardonically as Vegeta, Piccolo, Tien, Gohan, Krillin, and Yamcha came to a halt in midair above the Capsule Corp grounds.

"And just when things were getting interesting," Android 17 complained.

"Vegeta, stay back!" the immortal screamed as the ball of energy in Android 17's hand suddenly became much brighter.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Vegeta shouted, diving down at where Kurenai stood stock-still in horror.

"So, your gallant husband comes rushing to your rescue. Pity… I always did think that happy endings were over-rated."

Android 17 launched the energy attack at point-blank range.

Kurenai closed her eyes.

And the Z Warriors screamed in horror and fury as Kurenai vanished in a white-hot ball of flame.

* * *

"No…" Gohan whispered, staring down at the roiling smoke that curled skyward from where Kurenai had been standing. "No… not Kurenai and the baby." Tears slid down his face unchecked. "Please… tell me it's not true…"

Piccolo was growling in barely-controlled grief and rage, fists clenched so hard that blood trickled from his palms. "That mechanical bastard… I'll rip him limb from limb for this."

Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien all looked like they were either going to faint or go absolutely ballistic.

Only Vegeta remained quiet.

This was too much for Gohan to take. "Why didn't you save them, Vegeta?" He turned to the Saiyan prince and lashed out at him with his fists. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE THEM, DAMN YOU! DON'T YOU EVEN CARE!"

Amazingly, Vegeta smiled.

"They're not dead."

Everyone turned to look at Vegeta, including the Androids.

"He's clearly deranged," Android 18 drawled, brushing ash off her. "After all, for a mere mortal to survive a blast like that would be impossible."

"Except that my wife is no mere mortal," Vegeta said, and all of them could hear the pride in his voice as he pointed down at the grounds where she had been when Android 17 had fired the blast at her.

"Vegeta… you mean…" Krillin whispered, moving closer to take a better look.

"It can't be," Tien said in amazement.

Through the smoke came a faint glimmer of light.

"Son of a…" Yamcha swore, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

Android 17 backed away in shock, shaking his head in mute denial of what he was seeing. "It's… it's not possible… it's just not possible…"

As the smoke cleared, a shimmering ball of energy was revealed.

Standing inside of it, hands outstretched and eyes closed in concentration, was Kurenai.

* * *

"But… how?" Android 18 seemed to voice the question for all of them.

"Magic." From within the energy barrier came a soft chuckle. Kurenai opened her eyes and lowered her hands, and with a crackle, the energy barrier around her vanished. She drew in a deep breath, and lifted her head to look at Vegeta, a smile on her face.

"Kurenai, are you all right?" Gohan called down to her.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Don't you have one ounce of decency?" Krillin shouted down at Android 17. "Attacking a pregnant woman is the lowest thing you could have done!"

With scowls of displeasure, the Z Warriors landed near Kurenai. She slowly backed away from Android 17 until she felt Vegeta at her back.

"What in hell were you thinking, pulling a damned fool stunt like that?" he said, and Kurenai could tell from the way his voice shook that he was almost as scared as he was angry.

"You weren't here, and they were about to start leveling Capsule Corp," she replied without turning around. "What was I supposed to do, let them?"

"You could have been hurt! And what about the baby?"

"Vegeta, I will not buy my child's life at the cost of the lives of others. I'm not like that. I never have been, and so help me God, I never will be." She finally turned to look over her shoulder at him. "And you know it."

"We were actually looking for Son Goku," Android 17 said calmly, having finally gotten over the shock of Kurenai surviving his attack. "But as he wasn't here, we had to do something to entertain ourselves."

"Well, he's dead," Piccolo said, his voice low and harsh. "And I'm afraid that your fun with Kurenai is officially over. If you want entertainment, you can deal with us."

"Be careful, Piccolo," Kurenai warned. "These two are much stronger than they look."

"That's okay, we've already disposed of the other two androids, these two shouldn't be all that tough."

"What?" Kurenai was in shock. "There are more androids out there!"

"The operative word is 'were', not 'are'," Yamcha corrected her cheerfully. "That chaos earlier in Sazebo was due to two androids, but we dealt with them."

"Yeah, after you nearly got yourself killed," Tien said in an undertone, and Yamcha glared at him.

"Well, Krillin had Senzu beans, so it all turned out all right in the end."

"Wait a minute," Android 17 said sharply. "You're saying that Androids 19 and 20 have been destroyed?"

"That's right," Vegeta said in disdain, moving his wife to one side as he stood in front of her. "And while they certainly could talk big, they were in no condition to back it up."

His eyes dropped to Android 17's hands. "I suppose you're an energy-stealing model just like they were."

"Energy stealing?" Kurenai said, confused.

"The other two Androids we faced had these devices in their palms that could absorb energy," Piccolo explained. "One of them caught a blast of Vegeta's dead on, and absorbed the power into its body. They could also drain energy if they got hold of you."

"Yes, Androids 19 and 20 were of a less efficient design," Android 18 said, shrugging. "Android 17 and I, however, are superior to those two. Our energy supply is limitless – it lasts forever."

"Oh, this is great," Vegeta growled. "So ripping YOUR arms off would do no good."

"Assuming you could, the worst you would do is aggravate me," Android 17 said with a smirk.

"Well, I'd say Kurenai already did a good job of that," Vegeta said, looking the Android up and down. While Kurenai was certainly looking the worse for wear of the two, Android 17 had clearly been on the receiving end of more than a few of her attacks.

"Yes, your wife was a little stronger than either of us had anticipated."

"That's no shock," the Saiyan said flatly. "Considering her power level, I'm surprised she hasn't obliterated both of you by herself. I guess pregnancy has made her a little soft."

Everyone turned to him in surprise.

"Say what?" Yamcha asked. "Her power level?" He turned to look at Kurenai standing beside her husband. "I mean, I know she's strong, but defeating both Androids by herself?"

"Think about what Android 20 said," Piccolo said thoughtfully. "Seven major powers on this planet. If the Androids don't have power levels, they can't be talking about themselves. And we already know that six of them are the six of us."

"And he also said that the seventh power level was in West City," Gohan said, his voice rising as he caught Piccolo's train of thought. "Kurenai is the seventh power level, she has to be!"

"But that Android said that the seventh power level was stronger than any of us, and the only person that strong was Goku!" Tien protested. "There's no way he could be talking about Kurenai!"

"Tien's right," Kurenai agreed, and they turned to her in surprise. "The greatest power level isn't mine."

"But who else is there?" Krillin said in frustration.

"Why, I'd have thought the answer was obvious, when you consider the existence of someone like Gohan," Kurenai said, looking at the boy.

She rested her hand on her stomach.

"It's Keiki."

_To be continued…_


	8. Death and Life

_Note: This story is one of fourteen that I am writing - companion pieces to my as-yet-unpublished-book, DRAGONBALL Z: AND THE GREATEST OF THESE. While the book itself fits accepted DBZ canon, these stories are meant to expand on themes not explored in depth in AND THE GREATEST OF THESE, or as in the case of "Twisted Timelines," are tales based on those two words of such promise… 'What if…'_

* * *

**Twisted Timelines**

_Chapter Eight_

"Keiki?" Android 17 repeated in confusion. He looked over at Android 18 and back at Kurenai again. "You mean… the baby?"

"That's impossible," the blonde android said flatly. "How could an unborn child possess that much power?"

"When you consider who her parents are, it's not at all surprising," Vegeta said with a smirk, resting his hand on his wife's shoulder. "And as Kurenai said, it seems that the hybrid of human and Saiyan is far more powerful than either race alone. A case of one and one making three, as it were."

"Wow," Yamcha exclaimed. "So… if Gohan is that powerful, and only one of his parents has any real strength, then this baby…"

"… has the potential to be stronger than every single one of us combined," Piccolo finished, his dark eyes on Kurenai and Vegeta.

"It's almost too much to believe," Tien agreed.

"In the end, it doesn't matter," Android 17 said, shrugging. He dropped back down into a loose fighting stance. "But as long as Goku's not here for us to have fun with, I guess we'll just have to satisfy ourselves with killing all of you."

"Fat chance," Vegeta shot back. "We took out the other two Androids, we can certainly handle you."

"I doubt that," Android 18 said lazily. "If she's the most powerful of all of you, and we were able to handle her without any trouble, what makes you think you're going to do any better?"

"Vegeta, get Kurenai out of here," Piccolo said, his voice low, moving to stand in front of Kurenai. "She's done enough – now it's our turn. And I think that this is going to get really ugly really fast."

"I would never do something so cowardly!" Vegeta exclaimed. "Running away from a fight, what kind of weakling do you think I am!"

Piccolo whirled around, his cape flaring around him as he turned. "This has nothing to do with cowardice, damn you, and you know it! It has everything to do with protecting your wife and your baby! So leave your damned pride out of it and get her away from here!"

Vegeta growled and took a step forward, but Kurenai placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Please, love," she whispered. "Don't do anything stupid, not now."

"That's right, Vegeta, listen to your wife," Android 17 said, stepping over to stand beside Android 18. "But we'll tell you what. Let's make this interesting. A bargain, as it were."

"A bargain?" Gohan asked, not liking the look at the Androids' faces at all. "A bargain for what?"

* * *

"Consider the average human lifespan. A human in reasonable health, barring any… unfortunate accidents… can generally live to the age of about seventy-five. In good health, maybe ninety." The black-haired android's eyes swept over the group. "With power and healing, well over a hundred."

"What's your point?" Piccolo grumbled.

"Working from that principle," Android 17 went on as if there had been no interruption, "a child born to Kurenai and Vegeta could easily live a long, long time… say, at least one hundred years." He narrowed his eyes and stared at Kurenai. "I would say that between the rest of you, you could pay that price. If our databases are correct about your respective ages, I would say that you could more than cover the cost of this child's existence."

"What!" Kurenai whispered in horror.

"It's quite simple," Android 18 replied. "We'll let you go, but someone will have to cover your tab." Her pale blue eyes flicked over the group. "The number of years your baby could live, versus the number of years left on their lives. It's basic math."

"That's barbaric!" she screamed.

Both Androids lifted their hands, and energy coursed around them. "We could just kill all of you now. Think of it as us being generous. This way, at least one of you gets out of here alive."

Kurenai's howl of rage as she powered up was deafening.

"You're no fun," Android 17 pouted. "Here we are, giving you a sporting chance, and all you can think to do is say no."

"Kurenai."

The soft whisper cut across the Androids' laughter and Kurenai's fury, and everyone turned to look at Gohan.

With slow, deliberate steps, he carefully moved Piccolo aside to stand between Kurenai and the Androids.

"Just go," the boy said quietly. "If what you're saying is true… if the baby within you really is powerful enough to defeat these two… then the most important thing right now is making sure that you and the baby survive. No matter what."

Kurenai's face went absolutely ashen. "Gohan… no… you can't…"

"I can. And I will, if I have to. Their math may be twisted and evil, but of all of us here, I have the most years to give away. And that way, only one of us… will have to-"

"No, Gohan, that's not an option!" Yamcha snapped. "Laying down your life like that would be suicide!"

"Is it because I'm a kid!" Gohan said, hurt and angry that they didn't understand. "You think because I'm a child that I can't understand what it means to want to protect someone you love? Well, you're wrong! She's just as much my friend as she is yours, and I love her just as much as any of you. And Dad would never, ever just stand aside and let someone else get killed just to save himself… and I won't, either."

Behind him, Kurenai stood absolutely still, and tears slowly began to trickle down her cheeks.

"It's my choice to make," the young half-Saiyan said firmly, clenching his small fists as he glared at the Androids. "Just like my dad did. Just like all of you did. And I won't let them hurt my friend any more."

Vegeta was stunned. The thought of his enemy's son, offering to die in his wife's place, made his heart stop in his chest.

"How brave," Android 18 said approvingly. "How very noble of you, Gohan. It might not be too entertaining, however."

"I'm not doing this for your entertainment!" Gohan's voice was angry, but he refused to back down. "I'm doing this for her, for Vegeta, and for Keiki."

"Gohan, you can't do this!" Piccolo said harshly, taking the boy by the shoulder and preparing to pull him aside, but Gohan shrugged him off.

"No, Piccolo," Gohan replied, twisting out of the Namek's grasp. He never took his eyes off the Androids, not even when he heard Kurenai's choked sobs behind him.

"Gohan," Kurenai pleaded through her tears, "please don't do this. Please don't throw your life away."

But the young half-Saiyan shook his head. "Tell Mom I love her, and that I'm sorry." He finally turned to look behind him, but not at Kurenai.

His dark eyes met Vegeta's. "Go, Vegeta. Keep her safe… for me and my dad."

The Saiyan prince nodded.

"No, Gohan!" Kurenai screamed. "You can't, please, no, NO!"

Visibly wincing, Vegeta brought his hands down on the back of Kurenai's head with all his might.

The blow caught her completely off-guard and she cried out in pain. Slowly falling to the ground, she barely managed to turn her head to look at Vegeta, her blue-violet eyes filled with horror. "No…" was all she got out before she collapsed, unconscious. He caught his wife in his arms and turned away.

"Vegeta."

He stopped.

"I know, Gohan. I'll tell her… when she wakes."

"All of you, get out of here," the boy ordered, and the Z Warriors were achingly reminded of Goku in that moment.

There was so much that all of them wanted to say… but now there was no more time for words, for the Androids were standing up and approaching. Taking only a moment to stare at Gohan, they all took to the sky. At last, only Piccolo remained, staring down at the boy he had raised as his own son.

"Good luck, Gohan," Piccolo whispered, resting his hand on Gohan's head. "Your father would be proud of you right now."

Then he flew after the others, leaving Gohan to face the Androids alone.

* * *

Vegeta flew toward the east, away from West City and Capsule Corporation. He didn't know why he was drawn there, but he knew he had to get his wife as far away from the Androids as possible. Even if it meant Gohan sacrificing his life, he would not dishonor that sacrifice by risking Kurenai's safety and that of their baby.

But it didn't make the burden any easier to bear.

"Is she all right?" Tien asked, flying alongside the prince and glancing at the woman in his arms.

"She will be when she wakes up," Vegeta said soberly. "But whether she'll ever forgive me for knocking her out, or herself for putting Gohan at risk… that's another matter entirely."

Suddenly the group stopped in mid-flight and turned back to West City, where they could feel the ripples of energy as Gohan battled the Androids.

"Amazing," Krillin whispered, "to think Gohan's still fighting."

"You mean that he's still alive," Yamcha replied, staring intently into the distance.

"He's fighting for something he believes in absolutely," Piccolo said quietly. "He truly loves her, and that hope, that single hope that she and the baby will survive is why he's doing this. As long as he has that hope, there's the chance, however unlikely, that he will actually defeat them."

"Unlikely is right." Vegeta held his wife tighter. "But that boy is a true Saiyan warrior. If there is any chance that he will prevail, he will."

They turned and kept flying, occasionally glancing back over their shoulders as the battle behind them raged on. With every passing mile, it was harder and harder to sense Gohan's energy, but none of them wanted to consider if it was due to the increasing distance… or if it was because Gohan was losing.

After hours of flying, they arrived at a large meadow with the ruins of a castle nearby. They landed and approached, their voices hushed.

"Where are we?" Yamcha asked, staring around him. "I had no idea this place was here."

"Neither did I," Vegeta replied, walking toward the ruins. "But I felt like something was calling me here, so this is where we came."

In his arms, Kurenai stirred and moaned. Her eyes flashed open and she nearly fell as she startled him into letting go.

"GOHAN!" she cried, struggling out of her husband's arms and staring around wildly. When she realized that Gohan was nowhere to be found, she turned accusingly to Vegeta.

"You left him behind! You let him stay and fight those Androids BY HIMSELF!" she shrieked. Suddenly she was beating her fists against his chest and screaming at the top of her lungs, but Vegeta was holding her so tightly that she could hardly move. "HOW COULD YOU!"

"He did it for you, Kurenai," Piccolo answered, coming up behind Kurenai to touch her lightly on the shoulder as she struggled and lashed out futilely in her husband's embrace. It hurt for Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien to watch Kurenai in the throes of grief, but they knew how she felt, knew how powerless and angry and anguished she was. She threw her head back and howled like a wounded animal, a piercing, keening wail of torment that raised the hairs on the backs of their necks.

"He knew what he was doing, love," Vegeta whispered, even as she fought to free herself. "He stayed behind because he believed in you, and he loved you."

At last she stopped fighting Vegeta and collapsed against him, sobbing as though her heart were breaking.

"No, oh God, no, Gohan…"

Suddenly she gasped and froze in Vegeta's arms.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he said, alarmed at his wife's abrupt change in mood. But then he caught the shift in her energy and held her at arm's length, staring down at her stomach, and her whole body shuddered.

"The baby!" Yamcha said, startled.

"But Bulma said the baby wouldn't be due for another month!" Vegeta protested. "How in the world are we going to deliver this baby out here!"

"Well, it looks like the baby's ready to make her appearance now," Tien said in concern. "The only other thing we can do is fly as fast as we can to East City and find her a hospital."

"How long?"

"An hour if we really book it," Krillin said finally. Vegeta nodded and lifted Kurenai into his arms again.

"If it really starts, tell me," he said. "No being brave for my sake."

She nodded and closed her eyes, resting one hand on her stomach as she tried to relax.

"You go on ahead," Piccolo said abruptly. "I'm going to go back and see… what happened."

Kurenai's eyes opened again, filled with an ancient and overwhelming sorrow. "Piccolo… if he's there…"

"I'll meet you in East City," he said simply. "One way or the other." He leapt into the sky and took off toward West City again.

Vegeta turned to the others. "Let's go."

* * *

They made it to East City in just under an hour, landing outside the Metro East Hospital. At first, they weren't certain that the nurses and the doctors would help Kurenai, but one growl from the prince and a loud screech of pain from Kurenai convinced them to wheel her into the nearest delivery room.

Tien, Yamcha, and Krillin sat outside in the waiting room with Vegeta, who was pacing back and forth when not staring anxiously at the closed door of the delivery room. It didn't help that Kurenai's voice was clearly carrying all the way out to the waiting room, her remarks ranging anywhere from telling the nurses to stop poking her, to shouting at Keiki to "hurry up already," and giving Vegeta a play-by-play commentary on the delivery at full volume.

"I can't believe I'm out here!" he fumed. "Imagine, the Saiyan prince not being allowed to see the birth of his own heir!"

"Well, you didn't take the classes," Yamcha chuckled. "Rules are rules, even for Saiyan princes."

"Still…" Vegeta began, but a sudden high-pitched wail, a startled curse, and a sudden fit of laughter caught his attention, and all four of them turned to the door of the delivery room. Then they were on their feet and racing toward the opening door as the doctors came out, shaking their heads in confusion.

"Never seen anything like it before…" one of them was saying.

"Neither have I," replied the other, eyeing the Saiyan prince as he shoved them out of the way. "Damnedest thing I've ever seen."

Vegeta ignored them, all of his attention on the woman lying in the hospital bed. She was exhausted and pale, but grinning hugely as she glanced up and saw her husband approaching. The look on her face was absolutely radiant, and Vegeta thought that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life.

"You could have warned me, you know," Kurenai said hoarsely, as Vegeta stared in wonder at the baby in her arms. The baby's hair was raven black, just like both of her parents', but the shape of her face was more like her mother's. Her eyes were closed as she nuzzled against Kurenai's breast, so he wasn't certain what color they were.

"Warned you about what?" he said softly, still staring at his baby daughter squirming in his wife's arms. He carefully pulled off his gloves, and with remarkable care, touched the baby's cheek and marveled at its softness.

Then he saw the black tail that had curled itself around Kurenai's wrist.

_To be continued_...


	9. Keiki

_Note: I really am sorry this took so long to write… For a long time, I was stuck in a rut about writing for DBZ, so I took a break to work on several stories for SAMURAI 7 instead. But I think I've finally got my groove back, so for those of you who waited patiently (and for some of you, not so patiently) for Chapter Nine of TWISTED TIMELINES to hit the site, here it is._

_I never expected the hue and cry I got for Gohan's sacrifice in the last chapter… but you have to admit, it was certainly different. Everyone else in the show dies at least once (even Gohan, at the end of the MAJIN BUU series), so why not here? But hopefully, this chapter makes up for it._

* * *

**Twisted Timelines**

_Chapter Nine_

Piccolo flew toward West City, his mind searching for any trace of Gohan's life force. Although he wanted desperately to believe that the boy had escaped, had somehow survived, he sensed deep in his heart that this was not the case. He knew that if the Androids intended to stick to their bargain at all, Gohan would have been killed long before now.

But then the faintest flicker came, that energy signature that was distinctly Gohan's, and his heart leapt within him. _Hold on, Gohan, I'm coming_!

Landing amongst the wreckage of Capsule Corporation, Piccolo searched for his former student, until at last he came upon him, lying trapped beneath fallen rubble.

"Gohan! Gohan, hold on!" Piccolo gasped, throwing the rubble aside and carefully pulling the boy free. But his hopes sank as he saw the blood that soaked Gohan's body, saw the injuries inflicted by the Androids when Gohan had bought Keiki's life with his own.

To his astonishment, Gohan's eyes slowly opened, and turned to look at him. "P… Picc… olo?"

"I'm here, Gohan, you're safe," Piccolo replied, moving aside the last of the rubble and looking down at the boy. But when he did, he almost wished that he hadn't, for the full extent of his injuries became obvious. _He should be dead… I'm amazed that he isn't right now_. "Where are the Androids now?"

"They said… they… were going… to Sazebo. They… wanted… to see… for themselves… that you… and the others… had killed… the other Androids." Gohan's primary concerns, however, were not for himself. "What about… Kurenai… and the… baby?"

"They're fine, as far as I know, I left them behind to come back for you. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Vegeta are with Kurenai right now."

"That's… good," Gohan breathed weakly. "I… only… wish… I could… see… the baby… I'm sure… she'll… be beautiful… just like… her… mother…" His eyes slipped closed, and his breath sighed out of him.

"Gohan!" Piccolo shouted. "Don't give up!" He lifted the half-Saiyan into his arms, and took off into the sky for East City as fast as he could possibly fly.

* * *

At the East City hospital, the remaining Z Warriors crowded around Kurenai and the baby, staring in astonishment at the black tail that the baby had curled instinctively around her mother's wrist.

"Whoa…" Krillin whispered. "It's a good thing Piccolo destroyed the moon. Can you imagine what would happen if she transformed and went on a rampage?"

"You can say that again," Tien replied. "Once was enough for me." He leaned down and gently touched the baby's soft crown of black fuzz. "Her features are a bit more like Kurenai's, but the tail is certainly from Vegeta's side of the family."

"I wonder what color eyes she'll have," Yamcha mused.

As though aware of all the attention, the baby stretched her arms wide and began to wail, but a soft word from Kurenai quieted her, and she began to nurse.

"Not going to bottle-feed her, hmm?" Krillin teased.

Kurenai shook her head. "No. Besides, science shows that a mother can pass resistances from herself to her baby through nursing. And in my case, who knows what else she'll get this way?"

One of the doctors came back into the room holding a sheet of paper. "Now, ma'am, we'll need you and your husband to fill out the birth certificate." He sat down, pulled out a pen, and placed the paper on the table. "First, we'll need the baby's name."

Kurenai looked over at her husband, and Vegeta nodded. "Keiki," he said softly. "Her name is Keiki."

"Surname?"

"Vegeta."

That got a strange look from the doctor, but he kept writing. "And the parents' names?"

"Mother's name is Suishoku Kurenai."

"Father's name?"

"Prince Vegeta." This time there was no mistaking the look of disbelief on the doctor's face.

"Prince?"

Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Kurenai fought to hide their smiles as the prince turned on the doctor. "Yes, prince. As in, 'son of king.' No last name, but make sure you put that title down, my daughter deserves to know she's descended from royalty."

"Yes, sir." The doctor hastily began scribbling again, jotting down the time of birth, the hospital she was born in, and the doctor who delivered her. "Now I'll just need your signatures, sir, ma'am."

Vegeta took the pen and added his name, and then Kurenai did the same. She noted the time on the birth certificate and smiled. "The hour of the Monkey, how appropriate," she laughed.

"Oh, boy," Yamcha chuckled, "Yep, I guess it was destiny that she be born at this time. Only makes sense because her father's a Saiyan."

The doctor wisely ignored this conversation, understanding none of it, and took the paper from Kurenai. "Now, I'll file this with the Records Department, and provide you a copy before you leave." He bowed politely and departed, leaving the others standing around Kurenai and Keiki.

"So, how long will you have to stay here, Kurenai?" Tien asked.

"The doctors said just a day or so, until I get my strength back," she replied. "They're not quite sure how I managed a first birth that easily, but as long as I seem okay, they're all right with me leaving."

"Where will you go?" Krillin asked Vegeta. "I mean, if Capsule Corporation is no longer standing, where will you two… correction, three live?"

Vegeta and Kurenai shared a glance. "We'll find some place," Vegeta said quietly.

Suddenly they all gasped and turned as one toward the window.

"Piccolo," Yamcha whispered. "He's coming."

"Is… is Gohan with him?" Kurenai asked, closing her eyes to try and sense the boy.

"I can't feel him," Vegeta replied, and Kurenai let her head fall back, tears slowly streaming down her face. A tear landed on Keiki's forehead, and she squirmed in Kurenai's arms.

"Sorry, little one," she whispered, opening her eyes again and gently wiping the tear away. Vegeta sat on the bed beside his wife and stroked her hair back, looking down at the baby.

* * *

Piccolo soared up to the window, holding Gohan in his arms, and Tien and Yamcha ran to open it. "Piccolo! Is Gohan-?" Tien asked softly.

The Namek shook his head, looking down at the boy he held. "No… he died in my arms on the way here. I did everything I could, but…"

"So it's true," Kurenai whispered. "Gohan is… dead."

"He did it for you, and for Keiki," Vegeta reminded her, and she glared at him through her tears.

"Do you honestly think that makes things any easier for me to bear?" she cried. Keiki stirred in her arms and began to cry.

"Why didn't you just come in through the front door, Piccolo?" Krillin asked.

"I'd have had a lot of explaining to do walking in like this," the Namek said grimly.

"We'll have even more explaining to do when we have to tell ChiChi," Yamcha groaned. "How are we going to tell her about this?"

For a long moment, all of them were quiet, all except Keiki who was still squalling in her mother's arms.

"Shh, sweetheart, shh," Kurenai murmured, her own voice breaking. "Don't cry, love… everything will be fine… somehow."

As though she could understand Kurenai's words, Keiki looked up at her mother and opened her eyes.

"Grey," Vegeta whispered, staring in wonder at his daughter's eyes. "Dark grey, with streaks of blue."

"Not quite you, and not quite Kurenai," Tien said. Then he started as Keiki turned her head and began reaching for Gohan, her tiny hands waving in the air.

"What is she doing?" Vegeta asked his wife, who shook her head, mystified.

"I have no idea."

Keiki's reaching became more insistent, and she screwed her face up in concentration trying to reach the boy.

"Piccolo, lay Gohan down on my bed," Kurenai said.

"There'll be blood everywhere," the Namek protested, but twin glares from Kurenai and Vegeta had him placing Gohan down beside Kurenai. She carefully let the baby go, who wiggled her way over to the boy and tried to climb up on his chest.

"Here you go, little one," Vegeta whispered, gently lifting his daughter up and placing her on Gohan's chest. "Though I don't know what you're trying to do."

Keiki curled up in a ball and rested her cheek over Gohan's heart, her small black tail twitching and waving. She gurgled softly to herself and closed her eyes again.

And a sudden gust of wind blew through the room.

A faint glow sprang up around Gohan and Keiki, who was still softly babbling to herself as the light danced around the two of them.

"What the-?" Kurenai cried out. Vegeta immediately wrapped his arms around his wife protectively, while Tien, Krillin, Yamcha, and Piccolo backed away.

"What's going on?" Yamcha shouted.

Kurenai suddenly let out a cry of pain, clutching at her chest. Alarmed, Vegeta pulled the folds of the hospital robe aside and saw the tattoo over her heart pulsing with light in time to the glow around the baby and Gohan.

"She's drawing on Kurenai's power!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"But she's only a baby!" Piccolo protested. "What in hell can she possibly do?"

Then, all at once, the wind stopped and the glow faded away. Keiki gurgled happily to herself and crawled up to pat Gohan on the cheek with her little fingers, and the boy's eyes slowly opened.

"GOHAN!" Kurenai screamed, nearly falling out of the hospital bed in shock.

"You… you're alive!" Tien whispered, backing away until he stood with his back to the wall of the room. "But how?"

"I… I don't know," Gohan said, his voice raspy. He looked down in absolute astonishment at the baby sitting on his chest clapping her little hands together in delight. "Hey," he said, his expression brightening, "You must be Keiki! You were the one who brought me back to life!"

"But… how can this be?" Vegeta said, feeling more than a little lost about all of this. "She's just a baby! Even if she _is_ my daughter and Kurenai's, this is impossible!"

"The Dragon's power," Kurenai said softly, her hand over her heart. "The Dragons have the power to resurrect the dead."

"But there were no Dragonballs involved, and neither Shenron nor Porunga appeared!" Krillin exclaimed. "So who wished Gohan back to life?"

Kurenai shook her head. "You don't understand. Another Dragon exists, but its power lives within me, not within a set of Dragonballs. Keiki drew on that power to bring Gohan back to life."

"So, you're saying that you could bring my father back, too?" Gohan asked, sitting up and cradling the baby in his arms as she cooed happily at him, her tail curling around his wrist, but Kurenai shook her head again.

"No… my power alone is not enough to summon him. But my power… combined with Vegeta's within Keiki… that was apparently another story."

Her dark blue-violet eyes were somber. "Either way, when the Androids find out Gohan is still alive, they're almost certainly going to come after us."

"But Gohan died! We all saw it!" Krillin objected. "How can they say we didn't agree to their bargain when they were the ones that killed him in the first place?"

"Do you honestly expect them to adhere to that stupid agreement?" Vegeta said in exasperation. "It's clear that they have absolutely no sense of honor, so the only thing we can do now is train ourselves to defeat them."

"Easier said than done," Yamcha said gloomily. "You saw how they fought, and they never wear out. It's going to take a hell of a lot of work to surpass them, even if we all do fight together."

"But I'll be with you," Kurenai reminded them, sitting up straighter. "Now that the baby is born, I won't have that same handicap I did the first time I fought Android 17."

Piccolo shook his head. "You still need to take care of Keiki. None of us know the first thing about raising a child, you know."

"Is Capsule Corporation still there?" Vegeta wanted to know. "Or my capsule?"

"Capsule Corp is in ruins, and as for your capsule, I honestly don't know. I wasn't actually looking for it at the time," Piccolo admitted. "You'll need to go to ground someplace else."

_Bring them here_.

All of them started and looked up at the ceiling. "What was that?" Tien whispered.

"It's Kami," Piccolo said derisively. "Showing off his omnipotent powers again."

_You may bring Kurenai and the others here, Piccolo_, came Kami's voice. _It is the only place left in this world that is safe from the Androids. Although I fear that if their rampage remains unchecked, even this sanctuary will not be safe for long._

"Okay then, that's where we'll go," Gohan said, climbing off the bed and handing Keiki back to Kurenai. "I'll go tell my mom where I'm heading, and then meet you guys at the Lookout."

"Be careful, Gohan," Kurenai said softly. "You only just came back to life, I don't know if I could stand the idea of losing you again so quickly."

"Don't you worry," he replied cheerfully. "I'll be fine. And thanks again, Keiki!" He leaned down and kissed the baby girl on the top of her head, and she wiggled happily in her mother's arms. He then moved to the open window, glanced around, then soared away.

"Take care, Gohan!" Krillin called after him.

Vegeta helped his wife and baby out of bed, and it was clear that Kurenai was still weak after giving birth. "You can't stay here, that's for certain," he told her. "Not if the Androids are still running around."

"The doctors won't like me leaving like this," she reminded him.

"Like I care."

She smiled ruefully. "Point taken."

He carefully lifted her into his arms, with Kurenai cradling the baby. "All right, Piccolo, lead the way."

_To be continued..._


	10. Drastic Measures

_Note: Okay, I admit it, it's taken me FOREVER to balance my time between work, writing, and real life (and I'm STILL not entirely sure I've done it). Also, I've been writing like mad in my LiveJournal (primarily for SAMURAI 7), and being part of six communities is TOUGH for writing! (Strangely enough, none of them are DBZ communities... they're all just straight writing communities, but on all of them, I requested my SAMURAI 7 pairing of Kambei and Nasami... don't ask me why I didn't think to choose Kurenai and one of the DBZ guys, but there it is.) But for those of you who patiently waited for me to post the next chapter of TWISTED TIMELINES, here it is at last! Hope I don't disappoint..._

_I was surprised at how much of a following this little story of mine has gotten! (Although admittedly, since AND THE GREATEST OF THESE went up, a lot more people have been reading this...)_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Twisted Timelines**

_Chapter Ten_

"So, does anyone have any ideas what our next move should be?" Tien asked as he, Yamcha, Piccolo, Krillin, Vegeta, and Kurenai flew to Kami's Lookout.

"Not a single one," Kurenai sighed, holding Keiki tighter as the baby squirmed in her arms. "But I feel awful leaving everyone on Earth behind while we escape to safety." Her eyes were still haunted after seeing the destruction at Capsule Corporation and the near-loss of Gohan.

"We can always wish people back with the Dragonballs," Krillin reminded her. "At least, those who haven't been revived before."

"But shouldn't we at least swing by Capsule Corporation, Master Roshi's, and ChiChi's to get everyone else?" Yamcha called.

Piccolo shook his head. "We don't have the time. Capsule Corporation is in ruins, and both the island and Goku's house are remote enough that the Androids won't be getting there right away. That buys us a little time to plan, for what it's worth. And the Androids are already going to be mad as hell when they find out Gohan is still alive."

"True," she sighed, and she shivered in her husband's arms.

Vegeta glanced down at her and saw the flicker of fear in her eyes as she watched their daughter. _And now everything's changed_, he thought. _This is no longer just about protecting her while she was with child. Now Keiki has become something more... but now she can be taken away_.

"I won't let it happen," he whispered, and his wife looked up at him. "I won't let them take you... or her... I swear it on my honor."

"I know," she murmured.

Slowly, the slender tower came into view ahead of them, and the group banked upward to head toward the Lookout. But as they flew past Korin's, they heard a loud "Yo!"

All of them put on the brakes in mid-air as Korin and Yajirobe approached the railing.

"Hey, who's the runt?" Yajirobe called, pointing at the baby Kurenai held.

"The 'runt' happens to be the daughter of Kurenai and Vegeta," Piccolo said, nodding at the couple.

"Wow, Vegeta's a dad? Who'd have thought it?" Yajirobe smirked. "Guess you're not such a tough guy after all, huh?"

"Better be careful, Yajirobe, Keiki's already strong enough to kick your butt!" Krillin laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the ronin said belligerently, while Yamcha, Tien, Vegeta, and Krillin laughed louder.

"Ah, so that's the little one?" the cat asked, peering myopically at the baby, and Vegeta flew closer so that Korin could see the child. "Mmmmmm... hard to say which of you she looks like more, but her power is incredible."

"You're surprised?" Vegeta said in amusement.

"Not really, no," Korin admitted as Keiki giggled and patted the top of the sage's head, who blushed bright red while the others laughed. "Hey, cut that out!"

The baby gurgled at him, and just patted his head again, so Korin took a step back from the railing out of Keiki's reach.

"So, um, you're going to Kami's. Good idea, you should be safe there... at least for a little while. Oh, and Kurenai..." The sage handed her a Senzu bean. "Not that you really need it, but this should help you get back on your feet a little faster."

"Thank you, Korin," she said gratefully, taking the bean and swallowing it. For a moment, she closed her eyes, and then as her usual power surged through her, she opened them again and smiled. "Much better. At least now if it comes down to a fight, I'll be able to help." _For what it's worth_... she added silently.

"We should get going, though," Piccolo reminded them. "Thank you again, Korin, we'll see you soon."

"I see dark times ahead of all of you," Korin said somberly. "I wish you luck, my friends, because you're going to need it."

* * *

Finally Piccolo and the others arrived at the Lookout to find Kami and Mr. Popo waiting for them. 

"Welcome, my friends," Kami said gravely. "I'm glad that you were able to make it here safely. Earth faces a terrible crisis like never before."

"We know," Yamcha said heavily, his hand over his stomach where the Android had nearly killed him. "We were able to take down the first two Androids, but those others... not even Kurenai was able to stop them."

"I wasn't the only one," Kurenai reminded him as Vegeta set her on her feet. "Gohan also tried to stop them, but in the end... he wasn't any more successful than I."

"And yet, I understand that your daughter managed something of a miracle," Kami said, looking at the baby she held.

"She brought Gohan back to life!" Krillin said in awe. "No wish, no Dragonballs, nothing! She just... did it!"

Keiki, in the meantime, was eagerly cooing and reaching for Mr. Popo, who was smiling at the baby.

"I see," Kami said softly, looking from the baby to Kurenai. "And... I think you know why, don't you, Kurenai?"

The woman nodded.

"Well, I don't," Tien said bluntly, "and I'm not entirely sure I want to. But for now, what are we going to do about the Androids? None of us are strong enough to stop them, not even together!"

Piccolo growled and turned away, stalking to the edge of the Lookout. Kurenai started at the sudden change in his attitude and began to move after him, but a glance from Kami kept her where she was beside her husband.

"The way I see it," Piccolo said finally, "we only have two real options - two chances to defeat them once and for all. The first, however unlikely, is that somehow... Gohan and Vegeta must become Super Saiyans." He looked back at Vegeta and met the Saiyan prince's gaze head-on. "I know how hard you've been training, and how you've been pushing yourself to break through. But now, more than ever before, you have a real reason, and so does Gohan. This isn't just about being the strongest in the universe any more."

"It hasn't been for a while," Vegeta said flatly. "What's the point, now that Kakarot is..."

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

"And what's the second?" Yamcha asked.

For a long time, the Namek didn't answer, but instead returned to his moody staring down at the Earth below.

"Krillin once said that the Great Elder on Namek told him... if Kami and I re-united, we would be stronger than anyone alive. And as much as I hate the idea, we need every chance we can get."

"But... if you re-unite with Kami... what happens to the Dragonballs?" Kurenai asked, and Kami sighed.

"They would disappear. They are tied to my lifeforce... and my individul lifeforce would cease the moment Piccolo and I merge together. They would turn to stone, never to be used again."

"What?" Kurenai whispered. "You mean... gone? There'd be nothing left of you?"

"Piccolo and I were originally one being," Kami replied. "When I became Guardian, I split into two separate personalities... I, the good, and Piccolo, the evil. But the balance has shifted within him. As the evil in him diminished, his power has grown. If we were to re-unite, my vast wisdom would augment his strength. We would become more than we were as individuals... and more than we would have been had we remained one all this time. But Piccolo's power is far greater than mine, and his body much younger. If we were to become one, I would become a part of him."

For a long time, no one spoke. Then Vegeta finally voiced the question all of them were thinking. "So... if you two unite... who becomes Guardian after you?"

"He's right," Krillin said excitedly. "All we need is for someone else to become Guardian, and we'd have new Dragonballs, right?"

Mr. Popo spoke. "There is no one else. The Namekians have resettled on their new home world, and we have no way of finding them. Only they can create Dragonballs. Someone else could become Guardian, yes, and the Earth would be protected, but the Eternal Dragon would be no more."

Everyone's faces fell. For years, they had all been accustomed to the idea that no matter what happened, if things got really bad, they would always have Shenron there to help, to bring things back to normal. With that gone, the stakes became much, much higher.

Then Kurenai became aware that Kami was watching her intently. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You know and I know," he said softly, "that there is one person who could become Guardian after I am gone... _and_ who can create Dragonballs."

"No," she whispered, taking a step backward and clutching Keiki tighter. "Kami... I can't give up my daughter. Not now... _please_."

"Why not?"

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Vegeta said in exasperation, even as Piccolo caught Kami's thoughts and turned back to stare at Kurenai. Then the Namek rounded on his other half with an angry glare.

"Damn you," he hissed at Kami, "you knew all this time and you never told me?"

"She made me promise, Piccolo, and as difficult as it is to shut you out of my thoughts, there are times when even I can keep secrets. But there is a time and place for secrecy, and this is neither."

"_Please_," Kurenai begged. "Kami, don't..."

The Guardian shook his head. "No, it's long past time. And you have carried this burden long enough. You must now share it... with those who love you."

"So what are you..." Tien stopped in mid-sentence and turned to Kami. "Wait, you're saying that..."

And Kami and Piccolo both nodded. "Kurenai can be the most powerful Guardian that the Earth has ever known," Kami said, only his eyes betraying his excitement.

All of them turned to look at Kurenai, who stood with her head bowed, staring at her child. Even Keiki seemed to be watching her mother, remarkably quiet as though waiting for her to speak.

At last, she spoke.

"There is... another Dragon," she said haltingly. "You saw its power in the hospital when Keiki brought Gohan back to life. I said at the time, the Dragon's power lives within me. That is... not entirely accurate."

Reluctantly, she stepped from her husband's side, and carefully placed the baby in Vegeta's arms. Then she carefully moved aside the folds of her clothing to reveal a meticulously inked dragon tattooed into her flesh.

"The Dragon itself lives inside of me... inhabits me, as Shenron does within the Dragonballs. This is why I am immortal... why I never age, never suffer illness or injury or death. I am as eternal as the Dragon within me, its human avatar."

"I don't understand," Krillin began, waving his hands in front of him in frustration. "You mean... you're like Kami?"

"Yes and no," she admitted. "Kami created Shenron, and so Shenron's power is linked to his lifeforce, and limited by Kami's own power. But... the Dragon within me... was drawn from heaven itself, not created by any mortal means. It chose me as a living vessel, and its power is almost limitless. So... if I were to become-"

"No!" Vegeta said angrily. "It's not possible... I won't let it be possible!"

"Vegeta-" Piccolo began, but the Saiyan prince cut him off.

"I said NO, damn it!"

"Not even to save the life of your child?" Kami asked, approaching him and resting his hand on Vegeta's shoulder. "Or saving the lives of the people you and your wife care about?"

Tears were streaming down the immortal's face.

_To be continued_...


	11. A New Guardian

_Note: Sorry for the heinously long delay on updating this story... I was caught up in a ton of other things (NaNoWriMo, moving, finishing other stories, etc), but now I'm back! And so is the rest of the gang! For all of you who have been so patient, this one's for you..._

* * *

**Twisted Timelines**

_Chapter Eleven_

"Just how long have you known about this?" Piccolo accused Kami, who did not take his eyes off Kurenai.

"I had my suspicions since the night that all of you rescued her after she had been abducted. But I didn't know for certain until the day you brought her back her at her request." He sighed heavily. "She had asked me to keep her secret, after being hunted for so long. I saw no harm in her request, so I agreed."

Vegeta was absolutely stunned. While he'd always suspected his wife's power, he'd had no idea that she was actually the Dragon's living avatar. But all of the pieces were falling into place.

Kurenai's immortality.  
Her almost limitless power.  
Her occasional flashes of intuition or knowledge.

Whispers of the Dragon, indeed.

A moment later, all of them turned to see Gohan come flying up past the edge of the Lookout to land beside Krillin.

"Mom wasn't at all happy about letting me go," he began, "but I told her that I wanted to make sure you were all right..." His words died away as he saw the serious expressions on all of their faces, and Kurenai's tears. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"We... we know what we need to do, Gohan," Krillin said quietly. "Piccolo and Kami... are going to have to unite. It's the only way Piccolo will be strong enough to beat the Androids."

"But that means we'd have no Guardian... and no Dragonballs!" Gohan protested.

Yamcha nodded. "We know... but Kami says that Kurenai can become Guardian in his place, what with her being a Dragon's avatar."

Gohan nearly fell over in shock, but Krillin and the others quickly explained to him what Kurenai had revealed earlier about the true source of her power.

"An immortal Guardian," Gohan whispered, staring at Kurenai. "So we'd never have to worry about the Dragonballs disappearing again..."

"And an even more powerful Dragon," Tien replied. "It's almost too much to believe."

Kurenai knelt with her face in her hands, quietly sobbing, while Vegeta stood beside her, holding Keiki. The others watched helplessly, awkward and uncomfortable, but only Kami stood placidly before her, waiting for her decision.

"Please, Kami... I've had so little time, so little happiness of my own," she wept. "Don't ask me to do this."

Of all present, Kami was most familiar with the loneliness and emptiness that the immortal had endured for so long. "We have no choice, Kurenai. And believe me, while I cannot begin to imagine the pain and sorrow you have lived with, it will be nothing compared to what lies in store for the Earth if you do not ascend to the position of Guardian in my stead."

Vegeta looked down at the baby in his arms, part of him still marvelling at the miracle he and Kurenai had created, the other part dreading the idea of a life without the woman he had come to love.

"If... and I am not saying I am agreeing to this," he said slowly, "but _if_ she were to become Guardian... what would happen to Keiki and myself?"

Kami looked somber. "I don't know, Vegeta. I have never heard of a Guardian being married, or a parent, before. It might almost be considered a conflict of interest, as it were, if Kurenai were tempted to put your well-being and that of your daughter above the good of the Earth."

"So... they couldn't be married anymore?" Gohan asked softly, and Kami shook his head.

"Well, whatever we're going to do, we'd better decide fast," Piccolo said, not looking at the rest of them. "We're running out of time."

He turned to look at Kurenai, then walked over to her, crouched down, and took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look up at him.

"Will you do it?"

For a long time, no one said anything while Kurenai and Piccolo stared at one another.

Then she turned her eyes to Vegeta, who sighed heavily and nodded to her.

"Yes," she whispered.

Slowly, unsteadily, she got to her feet, walked over to her husband, and took her daughter back into her arms. Vegeta put his arms around them both, holding them close, looking over Kurenai's shoulder at Kami and Piccolo.

"The Namek is right - we don't have much time. If you two are going to unite, you'd best do it now."

"And when we unite, we use my body," Piccolo told Kami, who nodded in agreement.

"Yes - yours is much younger and stronger than my own. We will unite within you. Place your hand upon my chest."

Piccolo reached out and did as Kami instructed, while Mr. Popo and the others watched with wide eyes. Not once did the two Nameks look away from each other, even as Kami spoke again.

"What was once one became two, and what are now two will become one. I thank you all for all that you have done to protect this world. Goodbye."

Abruptly there was a blinding flare of light, the sound of a mighty wind, and Piccolo howled in agony as unimaginable power shot through him. Kami was also shouting as every aspect of him began to change, shifting from mortal flesh and blood to pure energy, his soul merging and recombining once more with Piccolo's. Instinctively Mr. Popo and the others covered their eyes from the searing flare of light as the two Nameks fused together, but they could not shut out the sound, nor could they ignore the almost unreal surge of energy radiating from Piccolo.

Then it was quiet.

Cautiously, the others opened their eyes, but there was no sign of Kami. But Piccolo's body, half-crouched on the ground, was surrounded by silver energy, arcing and dancing around him, and he was gasping for breath, his eyes huge.

"Such... power..." he rasped, staring at his hands, watching energy glow and shimmer around them. Inside his head, he could hear Kami's quiet voice, not unlike the occasional comment he still could detect from Nail's personality, but his personality was still very much his own.

Then he straightened and turned to face Kurenai.

"It's time, Kurenai," he said quietly, and for a moment, the others were struck by his resemblance to Kami. He stepped forward and rested one hand on top of her dark head. Without looking at him, she nodded.

* * *

Vegeta stared down at his wife, and she lifted her gaze to his, her eyes filled with tears. Not caring who was watching, he kissed her hard on the mouth, putting all of the love and need he had ever felt for her into it until he thought he would die where he stood. 

_I love you_... he thought to her. _Nothing will change that_.

_I know_... he heard in his mind. _And I love you. I always will_.

"Take care of our daughter," Kurenai whispered aloud against his lips. Then she leaned down and kissed Keiki on the forehead. The baby, as though sensing her mother's distress, began to cry, clinging to Kurenai, but the immortal resolutely handed the child over to Vegeta, and then stepped away from them both.

One by one, she stood before each of her friends, making her own farewells to them.

Krillin hugged her awkwardly, more than a little uncomfortable embracing her with Vegeta standing there. "You'll be fine, Kurenai," he told her. "You're the strongest person I know..."

"I hope so," she said quietly. Then she stepped over to Yamcha and hugged him as well.

"I'm glad you're going to be Guardian," he told her abruptly, and she glanced at him, startled. "I think... it's what Goku would have wanted for you."

"Yeah," Tien agreed, moving forward to embrace her as Yamcha let go of her. "Don't ask me why, but I think Yamcha's right."

"Maybe so," Kurenai whispered sadly, resting her head against Tien's chest. "I just... I just wish it didn't have to be like this."

Finally she turned to Gohan, and the boy wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly.

"I'll come visit you..." he said, his voice muffled against her stomach. "I won't let you be lonely."

Despite her tears, she laughed, then she leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

When she finally straighened up, Piccolo held one hand out to her, and she placed her small hand in his.

_It's time_, she heard inside her mind, and she nodded.

_I understand_.

"Shall I fetch the model of the Dragon for you?" Mr. Popo asked her, but Kurenai shook her head.

"No... it will not be necessary."

And a blaze of energy shot down Piccolo's arm and up Kurenai's until a corona of silver fire surrounded them both. Both of them gritted their teeth against the massive flow of energy, but they never looked away from each other. The light around them grew brighter and brighter, until Kurenai finally threw her head back and screamed.

"Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth... SHIRYU!"

Darkness fell over the Earth, and thunderclouds gathered as lightning flickered across the sky. A brilliant coiling light began to spiral up and outward from Kurenai's body, racing around them faster and faster as it climbed toward the sky.

"Whoa..." Gohan said in amazement as the Dragon raced toward the heavens. "He's huge..."

Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin could only stare in astonishment at the vast silver and black Dragon that was filling the sky. It was as though the night had taken form.

Seven bolts of lightning suddenly arced down from the Dragon to strike the ground around Kurenai and Piccolo. The others leapt back with a chorus of shouts, but neither the immortal nor the Namek flinched.

Then, seven globes of light shimmered into existence at Kurenai's feet, roughly eight inches in diameter each, until they solidified into seven clear crystal spheres, shot through with strands of black and silver. Within each of the spheres was a single black star, gilded in silver. In unison, they began to chime until they were ringing with a single perfect tone that made the heart fill with hope and awe.

"The Dragonballs," Tien whispered. "They're beautiful..."

Then Piccolo, Kurenai and the Dragon roared in a single powerful voice.

"**IT IS DONE**..."

_To be continued_...


End file.
